Year 9 Construction Challenge

The Year 9 Construction Challenge is an annual two day event organised by the Oxfordshire Business Education Alliance for more able students from three local schools hosted by Kingerlee Construction, Kidlington.

Each team of students was tasked with working as a construction company contracted to design a new F1 company headquarters building. Each student took a specific role within the company and during the two days of the challenge the team worked together to design a building, select appropriate materials as well as lighting and heating for their building.

At the end of the project each company then presented its ideas. All students visited the proposed site to be used for the building, and the companies responsible for electrical and mechanical services for the building. In addition they visited a local car showroom to see how different activities in a building impacted on the different building materials used.

The most challenging role in this project was that of the Project Manager. Ben Crone ably took on this role, he soon found out how challenging it is to keep your whole team on task and communicating with each other so that no tasks were overlooked.

At the end of the second day the whole team presented their ideas and plans to an audience, something that even adults find quite daunting.

This year the team from Lord Williams’ School, Thame won the challenge.

“Good project managing is tough”“I liked the teamwork and problem solving part”“I learnt how much effort and hard work you have to put in to get into the construction industry.”“It was an activity packed couple of days”“I liked visiting the Ford garage too”